Uneven Ujima production offers a surreal take on homelessness
Ujima Company opened its season Friday night with a production of Megan Terry’s 1990 play, “Do You See What I’m Saying?”
The play, based on real-life experiences, is a sometimes Beckett-like meditation on the towering topic of homelessness.
The play shows a day in the life of seven homeless women. Though the topic itself is provocative, and the play has many strong lines and powerful moments, these are not enough to pull it together to make a meaningful statement.
The play’s repetitiveness, its continual references to phantom apartments, lovers, children, and plans that may or may not come true, play up its surreal, “Godot” feeling.
Director Lorna C. Hill uses an effective opening concept, as the women trudge zombie-like through half-light, to assume their places in cardboard boxes, on milk-crate beds, or propped up in a doorway. A pair of cops aggressively rousts the women, suggesting that they check in to a shelter up the street.
Robert Ball’s set consists of a huge, anonymous-looking building facade. It hulks over the women, representing society, blind to their back-alley “home.” The set extends upward, filling the theater and the audience’s eyes; but like the play, it doesn’t capitalize on that overwhelming presence, so instead of impressing, it draws attention to blankness.
We are introduced to the women and their contradictions. There’s an articulate pair of drug users and mothers, Himilce, played by Marta-Aracelis Corchado, and Mychelle (Shawnell Tillery), who differ in their attitudes toward their choices. Addiction — to credit cards, cocaine, wine, men, and so on, is a pervasive theme.
There is no biographical information provided in the program notes; several of the cast members are drawn from under the radar, while several are Buffalo stage veterans.
As “Copper Queen” (a reference to her past beauty contest victory), Adair Luhr conveys a tragic, Marilyn Monroe-esque vulnerability. She pops pills, swigs wine, stumbles, slurs, falls off her heels and spills out of her clothes. But the script doesn’t serve the character well, giving her too many repetitive lines with not enough bang.
This is the case, as well, for two Buffalo stage veterans: June Duell, a small package with an always-strong presence as B. A., and Michele Ninacs, who returns to the stage as Crissie, a fragile and displaced “lady.” They are “business women,” “prospectors.” They go on rounds of trash-picking, fiercely regulated by B. A.’s rules and schedule.
Valrave (Beverly Dove) and Sunny (Dayatra A. Hassan) are effective as supporting characters. Valrave, a blowsy older woman who unappealingly offers sex to passers-by, is used for bizarre comic relief. And the hugely pregnant Sunny, who is on stage and mum for most of the two-hour production, occasionally erupts into sermons.
An insert from the Homeless Alliance of Western New York in the program urges the audience to consider what can be done to eliminate homelessness. This production is certainly a well-intentioned addition to the conversation.
Theater Review
“Do You See What I’m Saying?”
★★½
Drama presented by Ujima Theatre in TheatreLoft, 545 Elmwood Ave. Through Oct. 25. For information, 883-0380.
Log into MyBuffalo to post a comment
MyBuffalo is the new social network from Buffalo.com. Your MyBuffalo account lets you comment on and rate stories at buffalonews.com. You can also head over to mybuffalo.com to share your blog posts, stories, photos, and videos with the community. Join now or learn more.
Reader comments